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<\/p>\nThe $53 million, 25,000-square-foot FDRF, built by BL Harbert International, is the first wind tunnel added to NASA\u2019s wind tunnel assets in 40 years.<\/p>\n
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VIPs from NASA, GSA, Congress, Virginia and Langley employees celebrated the ribbon-cutting ceremony for NASA\u2019s newest and most advanced wind tunnel.
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NASA opened its first wind tunnel in four decades called the Flight Dynamics Research Facility at the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.
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For decades, Langley utilized its two historic wind tunnels \u2014 the 20-foot vertical spin tunnel and the 12-foot low-speed tunnel.
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Display with information about wind tunnels inside NASA\u2019s Flight Dynamics Research Facility.
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The latest solar system mission spacecraft getting tested at Langley is headed to the planet Venus and is called DAVINCI.
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The first flight test run will involve NASA\u2019s experimental and revolutionary X-66 Transonic Truss-Braced Wing project.
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A model of the Orion spacecraft equipped with a parachute got tested by NASA Administrator Jared Issacman at the FDRF.
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The testing of Orion also included the Launch Abort System, which clears the Orion spacecraft from the Space Launch System.
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Friday was a historic day for NASA\u2019s Langley Research Center<\/a> in Hampton, Virginia. A stellar lineup of VIPs from NASA, GSA, Congress, Virginia and Langley employees celebrated the ribbon-cutting ceremony for NASA\u2019s newest and most advanced wind tunnel: the Flight Dynamics Research Facility<\/a>.<\/p>\n The $53 million, 25,000-square-foot FDRF, built by BL Harbert International, is the first wind tunnel added to NASA\u2019s wind tunnel assets in 40 years. The project was started in June 2022, with construction completed in March 2026.<\/p>\n Over the next few months, the facility will undergo more data collection and certifications before it can begin actual wind tunnel test runs. The first flight test run will involve NASA\u2019s experimental and revolutionary X-66 Transonic Truss-Braced Wing project<\/a>.<\/p>\n Langley was NASA\u2019s first field center<\/a>, established in 1917, with the purpose of studying aeronautics, or aircraft flight. It may surprise you, but NASA, or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, has been central to the development and testing of America\u2019s military and civilian aircraft, helicopters and now drones.<\/p>\n One of the main focal points of Langley, working under the auspices of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics<\/a> (NACA), NASA\u2019s predecessor in the 1920s, was determining aircraft spin mode profiles, how an aircraft goes into a spin and how can the pilot recover as a result. The hit movie \u201cTop Gun\u201d showed Maverick and Goose going into a flat spin from which they could not recover and had to eject.\n<\/p>\n Langley, at its inception and for the future with the FDRF, has been central to aircraft and spacecraft development and testing. For decades, Langley utilized its two historic wind tunnels <\/a>\u2014 the 20-foot vertical spin tunnel and the 12-foot low-speed tunnel. In her speech given to a large audience, Dr. Trina Dyal<\/a>, director of the Langley Research Center, said that components from these historic wind tunnels are incorporated into the new wind tunnel.<\/p>\n If it flies in the atmosphere or enters the atmosphere of Earth or the planets and moons of the Solar system with atmospheres, it gets tested at Langley. The latest solar system mission spacecraft getting tested at Langley is headed to the planet Venus and is called DAVINCI<\/a>.<\/p>\n One of the highlights in touring the FDRF and visiting the Virginia Air and Space Museum, which is Langley\u2019s visitor center<\/a>, was seeing parts of these historic tunnels and the models of aircraft and spacecraft tested by them. I saw wind tunnel blades, biplanes, World War II aircraft and just about every aircraft flown in the U.S. military and commercial fleet.<\/p>\n I also saw precision scale models of the crewed spacecraft of Projects Mercury<\/a>, Gemini<\/a>, Apollo<\/a> and now Orion<\/a>, which is a key component of Artemis<\/a>, all having been tested at Langley. The testing of Orion also included the Launch Abort System<\/a>, which clears the Orion spacecraft from the Space Launch System<\/a> (SLS) rocket in case of an emergency.<\/p>\n In fact, a model of the Orion spacecraft equipped with a parachute, got \u201ctested\u201d by NASA Administrator Jared Issacman<\/a> at the FDRF. The \u201ctest\u201d was successful as the parachute fully deployed and was eventually retrieved by a fancy fishing net. He also personally greeted the new Langley interns<\/a>.<\/p>\n During his speech, Sen. Tim Kaine<\/a>, of Virginia, highlighted the impact NASA Langley has had on inspiring Virginia\u2019s STEM students<\/a>.<\/p>\n In WTOP\u2019s continuing reporting on NASA Artemis, NASA Langley has been quite active in supporting America\u2019s return to the moon to stay this time<\/a>, just as it did for Apollo<\/a>.<\/p>\n To get more information on Artemis support at Langley, Mr. Jeremy T. Pinier, SLS aerosciences team lead at Langley<\/a>, did work on the Ares I-X test flight as part of NASA\u2019s Constellation program<\/a>, which was canceled in 2011. In that same year, the SLS program began to take shape and eventually a reality.<\/p>\n He explained that the data provided by 200 sensors on the SLS for Artemis I<\/a> led to significant changes to the SLS for Artemis II that helped smooth the airflow and ride.<\/p>\n Having watched the entire eight-minute liftoff video for Artemis II, which included views from the SLS, I commented how amazingly smooth the SLS looked on the entire ascent. Pinier pointed out the \u201cwhite strakes\u201d I saw in the video really smoothed out the ride for Artemis II.<\/p>\n He commented that data acquisition from future SLS launches and resulting testing at Langley will contribute significantly to Artemis.\u00a0<\/p>\n In closing, looking at the FDRF harkens one to imagine it is from a \u201cStar Wars\u201d movie set and that the \u201cMillennium Falcon\u201d should be there at the top of the futuristic 130-foot tall structure.\u00a0<\/p>\n One thing is for sure: FDRF and Langley will be at the forefront of America\u2019s future aeronautic and spacecraft frontiers.<\/p>\n Follow\u00a0Greg Redfern\u2019s\u00a0daily blog<\/a> to keep up with the latest news in astronomy and space exploration.<\/p>\n